remembrance day

#1224: Nov 11: An Uncle Paul Story

A sequel to #138:  Remembrance Day

RECORD STORE TALES #1224: Nov 11: An Uncle Paul Story

November 11 is a very important day in my family.  Since my grandfather and his brother both served in Europe during World War II, it was a tradition that I have always known.  My grandfather rarely told war stories.  It used to make me uncomfortable.  At home, my dad would educate me on different battles, and the tanks and the guns and planes involved.  My dad’s specialty is the Pacific theater, but he certainly taught me the difference between a Panzer and a Sherman.  I knew what the Battle of Britain was.  I had seen all the old movies.  So when my grandfather seemed…haunted by the war, it contrasted that childish “cool factor” that you get by watching a tank fire its cannon.

From my earliest memories, we went to the cenotaph every Remembrance Day, heard the cannons fire, shivered in the cold and watched Grampa lay a wreath.  I was short and could hardly see.  Back then, November 11 was a school holiday, so families could go to the cenotaph.  Eventually they ditched that holiday in favor of an in-school memorial.  This took place in the gymnasium.  They’d run a film and I’d just sit there thinking “right now Grampa would be laying his wreath.”  We lost him in 1983 but the family always went.

This is where the story deviates from today’s theme.  My Uncle Paul and Aunt Maria would also go to the cenotaph with us.  They drove in from Stratford.  For us, it really was a full family day.

The family tradition was modified after 1982, when Remembrance Day was stripped of its holiday status in 1982.  The change was slight.   I didn’t even know about it for years.

My Uncle and Aunt would come to town for the ceremony at 11 o’clock, but stayed the day to visit.  My dad and uncle would go to the local car dealerships and look at the new models.  Best of all, they would pick my sister and I up from school at the end of the day!  What a treat.  Not only didn’t we have to walk home on a cold day, but we got to ride with Uncle Paul and my dad.  We would laugh and smile the whole way home.  I loved this modification to the old tradition…but there was more.  Much more.

Little did I know, but after the Remembrance Day ceremony, the whole family would head over to Hi-Way Market and visit their incredible, legendary toy section.  My Aunt and Uncle would buy all of our Christmas gifts right there in one shot.  Every GI Joe.  Every Atari game.  Every Transformer.  They were sitting there in the trunk, directly behind us as we rode home from school.  Every single gift that I was salivating over, nightly in the toy catalogues.  They were right there, mere inches away!

If it sounds like I still can’t believe it, it’s still amazing to me that they did this for years and I had no idea!

Thanks Uncle and Aunt for making every Remembrance Day visit a special one for a kid. And thanks to Grampa and Uncle Gar for doing what had to be done.

 

#612: Remembering Their Sacrifices [Re-Post]

At the the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the Armistice was signed, ending the fighting in the Great War. At least, they called it the Great War, or “The War to End All Wars”. Today we just call it World War I, because even greater horrors followed.

My grandfather “Sam” (Crawford) fought in World War II, helping bring an end to the evil of Hitler and Nazi Germany. I think my grandfather would be disgusted today to see Nazis being referred to as “very fine people”. What did he fight for, if we are to casually welcome that evil back to the streets?

“Gar” and “Sam” Winter

We can never forget the sacrifices those soldiers made. My grandfather survived and came home to raise a family with my grandmother. His brother wasn’t so lucky. He lived, but was injured in the trenches and he never walked right again.

I tend to think of the veterans and the soldiers of the present year round. My wife goes out of her way to thank veterans any time she sees one in uniform.  I think of them every time I am free to write whatever I want to, in this great land of Canada. Had the Nazis won, there would be no freedom here. On November 11, at 11am, we have a moment of silence to honour all the soldiers from every war in which they fought and died for our freedom. That is an important tradition to keep. But I think we should think of them more often.

“Sam”

My grandfather rarely told war stories around the kids, but I do remember one night when he told my dad about looking up and seeing a Panzer tank coming. “I shit my pants,” he said and I think he was being truthful. Imagine those young guys — kids, really — in a country far from home, running from a tank. The bravery is awesome. I can’t even imagine.

My grandfather died (cancer) when I was too young to appreciate what he did. I knew he fought, and I got to watch him lay a wreath at the cenotaph every November 11. I didn’t understand the significance of what it means to be a soldier until I was older. If I were a little older, I would have tried to get him to tell me about it.

Bryan Adams’ 1987 album Into the Fire has the best song about Remembrance Day that I know.  This very special track was made into an emotional music video.   In 2014, The Trews came out with something almost as good:  a song called “Highway of Heroes”.  The Highway of Heroes is an actual highway (the 401), given this nickname for the stretch of road on which the bodies of fallen soldiers are brought home.  The Trews’ song is a touching tribute.

Check out these two songs and remember why you’re even able to listen to them.  Because of the Heroes.

 

 

 

#612: Remembering Their Sacrifices

At the the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the Armistice was signed, ending the fighting in the Great War. At least, they called it the Great War, or “The War to End All Wars”. Today we just call it World War I, because even greater horrors followed.

My grandfather “Sam” (Crawford) fought in World War II, helping bring an end to the evil of Hitler and Nazi Germany. I think my grandfather would be disgusted today to see Nazis being referred to as “very fine people”. What did he fight for, if we are to casually welcome that evil back to the streets?

“Gar” and “Sam” Winter

We can never forget the sacrifices those soldiers made. My grandfather survived and came home to raise a family with my grandmother. His brother wasn’t so lucky. He lived, but was injured in the trenches and he never walked right again.

I tend to think of the veterans and the soldiers of the present year round. My wife goes out of her way to thank veterans any time she sees one in uniform.  I think of them every time I am free to write whatever I want to, in this great land of Canada. Had the Nazis won, there would be no freedom here. On November 11, at 11am, we have a moment of silence to honour all the soldiers from every war in which they fought and died for our freedom. That is an important tradition to keep. But I think we should think of them more often.

“Sam”

My grandfather rarely told war stories around the kids, but I do remember one night when he told my dad about looking up and seeing a Panzer tank coming. “I shit my pants,” he said and I think he was being truthful. Imagine those young guys — kids, really — in a country far from home, running from a tank. The bravery is awesome. I can’t even imagine.

My grandfather died (cancer) when I was too young to appreciate what he did. I knew he fought, and I got to watch him lay a wreath at the cenotaph every November 11. I didn’t understand the significance of what it means to be a soldier until I was older. If I were a little older, I would have tried to get him to tell me about it.

Bryan Adams’ 1987 album Into the Fire has the best song about Remembrance Day that I know.  This very special track was made into an emotional music video.   In 2014, The Trews came out with something almost as good:  a song called “Highway of Heroes”.  The Highway of Heroes is an actual highway (the 401), given this nickname for the stretch of road on which the bodies of fallen soldiers are brought home.  The Trews’ song is a touching tribute.

Check out these two songs and remember why you’re even able to listen to them.  Because of the Heroes.

 

 

 

Who Will You Remember?

 

 Thank you Uncle Gar and Grampa Winter.  Wish you were here to thank in person.  I was too young to really know what you did.  I thought it must be like the movies.  I think I was a lucky kid to know you, just wish I had the chance to know you now I’m older.

Part 138: Remembrance Day

RECORD STORE TALES Part 138: Remembrance Day

Every November 11 at the store, I always killed the sound at 11:00 am for one minute.  I remembered going to the cenotaph every year when I was a kid, and watch my Grampa with the other old soldiers laying the wreaths.  I plugged my ears when the canons fired!  The least I could do as an adult is kill the music for one minute.

This one is for my Grampa and veterans everywhere.